Parts 1, 2 & 3 · With answer structures
IELTS Speaking Questions & Cue Cards
Real-style questions for all three parts, with the answer structures that reach band 7, then rehearse them out loud with a free AI examiner that scores you like the real thing.
Part 1 questions: the interview
Part 1 lasts 4–5 minutes on familiar topics. The questions are predictable; the marks come from extending each answer to two or three natural sentences. Common current-style topics:
| Topic | Sample questions |
|---|---|
| Work / study | What do you do? Do you enjoy it? Would you change anything about it? |
| Hometown | Where are you from? What is it known for? Has it changed recently? |
| Free time | How do you spend your weekends? Do you prefer being indoors or outdoors? |
| Food | What food do you like? Do you cook? Has your diet changed over the years? |
| Technology | How often do you use your phone? What app do you use most? |
The upgrade in one line.“Yes, I like cooking” scores nothing extra. “Yes, I love it — I mainly cook Bengali food on weekends because it reminds me of home, though I’m slowly learning a few Italian dishes too” shows range, tenses and fluency in one breath.
Part 2 cue cards: the long turn
You get a card, one minute to prepare, and must speak for one to two minutes. Use the four bullets as a skeleton and the prep minute to note keywords. Three current-style cue cards:
Describe a skill you would like to learn.
You should say: what it is · why you want to learn it · how you would learn it · and explain how it would change your life.
Describe a place you visited that was memorable.
You should say: where it was · when you went · what you did there · and explain why it was memorable.
Describe a person who has influenced you.
You should say: who they are · how you know them · what they are like · and explain how they influenced you.
How to fill two minutes without panicking:spend roughly 25 seconds on each bullet. Turn the final “explain” bullet into your longest section, since it invites reflection, which is where fluent, extended language naturally comes out.
Part 3 questions: the discussion
Part 3 abstracts your Part 2 topic into a 4–5 minute discussion. Answers must reason, not just respond. If Part 2 was the memorable place, Part 3 might ask:
- Why do people enjoy travelling to new places? (compare motivations)
- How has tourism changed in your country over the last few decades? (past vs present)
- Do you think tourism benefits or harms local communities? (weigh both sides)
- How might people travel differently in the future? (predict and justify)
The band-7 move is a mini-structure inside each answer: claim → because → example → but/however. “I think it mostly benefits communities, because tourism creates jobs, and many people in coastal towns rely on it. That said, it can also drive up prices for locals, so the benefit isn’t evenly shared.”
How is Speaking scored?
| Criterion | What examiners listen for |
|---|---|
| Fluency & Coherence | Speaking at length without long pauses or excessive self-correction; ideas that connect |
| Lexical Resource | Range and precision of vocabulary, including less common and idiomatic language |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | A mix of simple and complex structures, mostly error-free |
| Pronunciation | Being clearly understood, with natural stress, rhythm and intonation |
Each is worth 25%. Notably, none of them reward a “posh” accent. Pronunciation is scored on clarity, not on sounding British or American.
Frequently asked questions
What questions are asked in IELTS Speaking Part 1?
Part 1 is a 4–5 minute interview about familiar topics: your home, work or studies, hometown, and everyday interests like food, music, weather, or daily routine. Questions are personal and predictable. The skill is answering with two or three extended sentences, not a single word, while sounding natural rather than rehearsed.
How long should I speak in the Part 2 cue card?
You have one minute to prepare and should speak for the full one-to-two minutes until the examiner stops you. Stopping early (under about 90 seconds) is the most common Part 2 mistake, so use your one-minute prep to jot keywords for each bullet point so you never run dry.
What is the difference between Part 1 and Part 3 questions?
Part 1 is about you and your immediate world; Part 3 is abstract discussion linked to your Part 2 topic: society, trends, opinions, comparisons, and predictions. Part 3 rewards developed reasoning ("this is because…", "one consequence is…"), not just an answer, and it is where band 7+ candidates separate from the rest.
Do IELTS speaking questions change often?
Part 1 topics and Part 2 cue-card themes rotate on a roughly quarterly cycle and repeat across test centres, so practising current-style questions is worthwhile. But do not try to memorise answers, because examiners are trained to detect rehearsed, off-topic responses, and memorised speech lowers your Fluency and Coherence score.
How can I practise speaking if I have no partner?
Practise out loud with an AI examiner. IELTSLab’s free plan gives you a weekly session covering Parts 1, 2 and 3 with the real timing, then scores your fluency, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary and shows you the transcript, the feedback loop you cannot get talking to yourself.
Say your answers out loud, and get scored
A free weekly AI-examiner session runs all three parts and scores your fluency, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.
Practice speaking free